Cathy Taschner named Coatesville Area School District superintendent

CALN – Coatesville Area School District made a surprise announcement late Friday naming Cathy Taschner as the next superintendent.

The final selection came after months of speculation and searching for a new chief to lead a distraught school district.

Taschner will replace interim superintendent Leonard Fitts, who was appointed in October 2013 at $850 per day.

“We congratulate Dr. Taschner and welcome her to our Coatesville Area School District family,” school board members said in a prepared statement Friday night. “We are certain that she will have our community’s full support as we strive towards restoring our Coatesville Pride.”

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Tacshner received her bachelor’s degree in health and physical education from Messiah College and a master’s degree in kinesiology from West Chester University. She graduated from Immaculata University in 2001 with a master’s degree in educational leadership and received her doctorate in educational leadership from Immaculata in 2005.

She worked as a health and physical education teacher from 1994 to 2002 in the Twin Valley School District. She was the assistant principal at Twin Valley from 2002 to 2004 before moving up to a role as principal from 2004 to 2008. Then from 2009 to 2010 she acted as the assistant superintendent at Oxford Area School District and assistant superintendent at Susquehanna Township School District since 2010.

Taschner was one of two final candidates selected to meet with community members, teacher, students and administrative staff.

She was selected over final candidate William Harner, former Pennsylvania Secretary of Education and acting superintendent for Quakertown Community School District.

According to the school district’s announcement on Taschner’s appointment, she will be introduced to the public during the school board meeting on March 25.

School board members will vote on Taschner’s official appointment at a special meeting. That date has yet to be determined and will be announced shortly, according to the district’s announcement.

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